Kentish Gazette, 6 March 1849.

Burglary.

On Monday night some thieves broke into the cellar of the "Lower Bell" public-house, on the Rochester road and stole wines and spirits to the value of £20 leaving only four bottles of wine.

South Eastern Gazette 23 March 1852.

LOWER BLUE BELL INN.

(On the Turnpike Road leading from Maidstone to Rochester).

John Green respectfully begs to inform his Friends and the Public, that he has taken the above well-known compact and comfortable Inn, and hopes, by an assiduous attention to its business, and supplying them with every article of the best quality and at moderate prices, to merit a share of their patronage.

Dinners, Chops, Steaks, etc., provided at the shortest notice.

Tea Parties supplied. Private Sitting Rooms.

GOOD AND WELL-AIRED BEDS.

The above Inn commands views of the most pleasing and diversified character whilst from the hill above it the scenery is a splendid living panorama. It is close to the well-known monumental remain "Kit's Coty House," which is stated to have been "the Burial Place of Catigern," and to "Many old historic sites, Sacred to Legend and Poesy."

The neighbourhood presents to the antiquarian, historian, geologist, and botanist, a wide field of enquiry, and to the rambler it is unparalleled in its attractions. It is distant from Maidstone 3 miles, and from Rochester 5 miles, and omnibuses pass every hour to and from the North Kent Railway Station at Strood.

South Eastern Gazette, 18 October 1853.

ATROCIOUS ASSAULT ON A FEMALE.

On Wednesday last four men, named Charles Clarke, William Green, Stephen Baldwin (a married man), and Henry Harteford, all in the employment of Mr. Cubitt, at his works situate in the neighbourhood of Blue Bell-hill, on the high road between Maidstone and Chatham, were brought up in custody at the magistrates’ clerk’s office, Town Malling, charged with a gross and felonious outrage upon a married woman named Mary Mackenzie, who is extremely poor and upwards of 50 years of age.

It appeared that Mrs. Mackenzie was travelling from Chatham, on Sunday evening week, when on reaching the "Lower Bell" public-house, she entered it, and asked for half a pint of porter. Mrs. Green, the landlady, seeing that the wayfarer looked fatigued, asked her to sit down in the tap-room to rest and warm herself, an invitation which the poor woman gladly accepted. Six or seven of Mr. Cubitt’s workmen were sitting m the tap-room at the time, who pressed the old lady to drink with them; but she declined, and on finishing her porter left the house. Clark and Green shortly afterwards followed her, and at a signal from them given by whistling, Baldwin and Hartefold joined the pursuit in the course of a few minutes. Not long after their departure cries of "murder" were heard on the road by Mrs. Green, who became greatly alarmed, but went to the door to see if she could distinguish whence they proceeded, when she saw three of the ruffians dragging the poor old creature up the hill. She then went out, and seeing Baldwin, asked him at once to go to the stranger’s assistance and to bring her back to the house; but one of the fellows jeeringly replied to her "You had better mind your own business, and go in doors and go to bed, or we’ll serve you in the same way." She then saw Clark lay hold of Mrs. Mackenzie by the shoulders, and drag her down a lane leading towards Aylesford, bring assisted during the time by his companions. Baldwin was then again requested to render his aid in rescuing the woman, but refused, alleging that they were only having a lark with her. He, however, went up to them, and used some disgusting language, encouraging Hartefold to the commission of the felony which he was then attempting to perpetrate, while Clark and Green were holding the poor old helpless creature, whom they had thrown upon the ground. Mrs. Mackenzie, however, with a violent effort, contrived to throw the brutes off, and extricating herself from their grasp, ran towards the public-house, pursued by her four cowardly assailants. She then got over the hedge into a meadow at the back of the "Bell" and hid herself, remaining in concealment for nearly an hour. The fellows, however, at last discovered her retreat, and at once resumed their violent ill-usage of her, when Mrs. Green, again hearing screams of "murder," opened an upstairs window and heard the woman cry "You’ll murder me; and you shall murder me sooner than effect your purpose." The scoundrels, however, again threw her on the ground overpowered, and Baldwin (who it will be remembered was the only married man in the gang, and the father of a family) succeeded in perpetrating a capital crime. Their victim was by this time helpless and nearly senseless, and one of them was heard to exclaim "I think the ----- is dead," on which all of them decamped, and left the poor creature to her fate.

On recovering consciousness, Mrs. Mackenzie, with great difficulty, proceeded on to Maidstone, where she remained all night; but on Monday morning she returned to the "Lower Bell" to learn the names of her abusers, which she readily obtained from Mrs. Green, who on Tuesday drove her over to Town Malling, where Superintendent Hilton was informed of the circumstances, and warrants having been obtained against the fellows, pursuit was made, and Hartefold and Green were apprehended at Mr. Cubitt’s works, and subsequently Baldwin and Clarke at the "Fleur-de-lis," where they had spent the day in drinking. The two latter at first resisted the efforts of the officers to capture them, and being assisted by some of their pot-companions a scuffle and fight took place, which ended in placing the whole of them in handcuffs. The evidence of Mrs. Green, the landlady, and of Mrs. Mackenzie, as to the atrocious outrage committed, and the identity of the prisoners, being perfectly satisfactory to the Bench, the four brutes were fully committed for trial at the next Maidstone assizes. Warrants were also obtained against some of the persons who attempted to rescue Clarke and Baldwin from the hands of justice.